Hop on the story train

An illustration from the book by Parmita Mukherjee

In the 19 months since the lockdown began, children haven't been fortunate enough to experience the magic of a Mumbai local train ride, points out city-based author Timira Gupta. "The pandemic has also isolated children in a way that has brought about a lot of social anxiety and meeting new people and casually exchanging smiles has become a thing of the past," says Gupta. With the hope to reignite the spirit of social interaction within children, today Gupta, through the Dr Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) Museum's latest Read With Me session, will host a virtual reading of her book Goplu's Train Ride (Pratham Books).

Timira Gupta

"While the story may come across as a tale about friendship, I think it's essentially about the power of smiles. The story along with its images gives us a glimpse into the life people live in the city and how the train is an essential part of it. It's about a little boy who hops onto the Mumbai local train with his grandmother who is a regular and has made friends over the years by sharing smiles with everyone," adds Gupta.

The hour-long session also promises to be interactive, and invites children over the age of five to participate. They can chime in at all times, with any questions or comments they'd like to present to the host. "We will read the story, talk about trains and train rides and different kinds of smiles too," concludes Gupta.

On Today, 4 pm onwards
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Free